Harshit Rana of the Kolkata Knight Riders may have emerged as a hero with his magnificent last over in Saturday’s four-run victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but his dismissal of Mayank Agarwal has put him in hot water. Rana lost his temper after dismissing the SRH opener earlier in the innings, blowing a flying kiss at Mayank as he headed back into the dressing room.
Many people on social media were unhappy with the send-off, and the BCCI took notice of the event on Sunday, slapping the bowler with a 60% punishment. In a post-game statement, the board stated that Harshit Rana had been punished for violating the IPL Code of Conduct.
In a release from the BCCI, it was said that bowler Harshit Rana of the Kolkata Knight Riders was fined 60% of his match earnings for violating the IPL Code of Conduct during the 2024 Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 23, versus Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“Rana committed two Level 1 violations under Article 2.5 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct. He was penalized 10% and 50% of his match costs for the two offenses. Rana acknowledged to the two offenses and accepted the Match Referee’s decision. The Match Referee’s judgment on Level 1 violations of the Code of Conduct is final and binding.”
While Rana’s celebration prompted criticism from fans, Mayank remained calm as he glared at Rana before ultimately walking away, stopping the issue from deteriorating further. Sunil Gavaskar, a former India captain, was dissatisfied with the young Indian uncapped pacer’s actions.
“He shouldn’t have done that.” Did the batsman do anything to him when he was hitting sixes? Cricket may be played without such theatrics. This is the era of television. I get it. “Celebrate with your teammates, but there’s no need for such antics against the opposition,” Gavaskar stated on live.
Rana’s heroics saved KKR.
Rana’s last over, however, gave KKR a stunning victory against SRH. Despite Heinrich Klaasen and Shahbaz Ahmed’s superb power-hitting in the previous few overs, the pacer protected 13 runs in the game’s last six deliveries. Rana dismissed both batsmen in three deliveries and defeated skipper Pat Cummins on the last delivery to lead the Knight Riders to victory in their season opener.
